Boys will be Boys
by Admiral T. DeVanto
Summary: From dating websites, girls, and bonding, the boys are slowly exploring what it is like to live a normal life. Mainly involving Tao, Takeo, M21, and maybe Regis.
1. Dating

Tao smiled gleefully as his fingers hovered over the keyboard of his computer. Typing rapidly, he stared into the computer screen, the light reflecting off of his dark eyes.

M21 approached him warily, all the while wondering if being in Tao's presence was even wise. But his curiosity got the best of him, and he could not deny his interest. "Tao, what are you working on?"

Tao merrily clapped his hands together. "Let me show you!" He beamed as he turned his computer around to face M21. He smiled. "I set up a profile for Takeo!"

M21 squinted as he looked at the computer screen displaying a bio that was, apparently, Takeo's. He glanced at Tao with confusion. "A dating profile?"

Tao nodded. "Yep. I thought he needed a little bit of help in the love department, and who better to assist him than me? I mean, signing him up was easy. But it was finding the right picture for him that proved to be the trickiest."

M21's grey eyes scanned through the profile. He grinned in amusement. "Huh, I didn't know Takeo liked long walks on the beaches."

Tao shrugged. "I'm not so sure he does." At M21's incredulous look, Tao exclaimed defensively. "What? The website asked for his five main interests! Fighting Union monsters wasn't on the list."

"I wouldn't call fighting the Union an interest, Tao!" M21 retorted. "And is this really okay?" he asked. "Does Takeo even know about what you are doing?"

Tao chuckled. "That's why it's called a surprise. Though, I signed him up using my email, but I can always change that." He sat back in his chair with a smile. "Now all we have to do is wait and see who shows any interest in him." As if one cue, Tao's phone let out a loud '_ding' _and he leaned forward eagerly. "Wow, that was fast."

M21 looked over Tao's shoulder. "What? Did he get a woman already?"

Tao smiled as he typed on his computer. "Someone is messaging him. Someone...named Marcus." Tao's typing came to a halt.

M21 blinked. "What?"

Tao sucked in a breath. "And...another guy named Jason is also messaging him. And Truman. And Lucas."

M21 stared. "Why are a bunch of guys interested in Takeo?" He glared at Tao. "Did you make it clear that he was male? What kind of a picture did you even use for Takeo?" At Tao's sheepish look, M21 grabbed the computer and scrolled through Takeo's profile page. At one look of the picture, M21 smacked Tao upside the head. "_That's _the best picture you could come up with? He looks like a girl!"

"He does not!" Tao exclaimed. "I mean, sure the chin is a little soft. He's got full, pink cheeks. And the long hair does compliment his dainty features...oh no." Tao slumped in his chair. "He looks like a girl."

"And a very good one at that," M21 noted with admiration. If he didn't know any better, he would have assumed at first glance that Takeo was an attractive female. A very tall, very attractive female. M21 leaned in closer to the screen, squinting. "In fact, he looks too good. Did you touch up his picture?"

"So what if I edited it? I wanted to compliment his assets!"

"I think you did too good of a job," M21 grumbled. "He's got sixteen messages so far in the last five minutes!" He looked at Tao. "So now what?"

Tao fiddled with his thumbs.

M21 sighed. "Should we tell Takeo…"

"...to get ready for his date?" Tao teased.

"For my what?"

Both Tao and M21 yelped, turning to look at the approaching sniper. Takeo's amused smile faded slightly at their startled looks. M21 averted his gaze, looking at anything other than Takeo. He did not know how Takeo would take the news about being signed up for a dating website, let alone attracting both sexes.

"What's wrong?" Takeo's gaze became fixed on Tao. "What did you do?"

Tao hurriedly shut down his computer. "Nothing," he said quickly.

Uh huh. Takeo knew better. As a result, his suspicions towards his comrades odd behavior only grew. "Did you liquidate my bank account?"

Both M21 and Tao winced at the word _liqui-_date_. _Tao chuckled nervously. "Hahaha~ No. I would never do that."

Takeo raised an eyebrow. He eyed Tao's phone at the loud '_din ding. Ding ding.' _"Sounds like you're popular."

"Someone sure is," M21 muttered under his breath. He had a good idea where the emails were coming from. Tao's pale cheeks turned pink, and he avoided Takeo's stare.

"I'll just unsubscribe him," Tao muttered.

"Hey, Tao," Takeo asked suddenly, staring at his phone. "Who's Lucas?"


	2. Carrots and Candy

Tao held up a small package with a smile.

Takeo frowned, staring at the packet before glancing at Tao with a confused look. "What's this?"

Tao shrugged. "Since you don't have your bullets with you, I figured you could use this to munch on. Even though I think it's a bit odd that you chew on bullets, I won't refrain from commenting."

"You just did. Comment, I mean." Takeo accepted the bag of carrots from Tao with a smile. "Thanks though."

"No problem!" Tao piped up. "A carrot is hard and something for you to chew on, and I wasn't going to get you a packet of cigarettes."

"How thoughtful," Takeo mused as he held a piece of the carrot stick in between his lips.

"The Boss would hate the smell."

"Yeah, too bad." Takeo looked up with a grin as M21 approached them. The werewolf blinked in confusion at the sight before him.

Takeo frowned, still holding the carrot stick in between his mouth. "What?"

M21 smirked. "Well, I thought you would have preferred these to your bullets." He held up a packet of lollipops. "But I guess you prefer the healthy version."

Takeo quickly chewed on his carrot, swallowing. "I don't mind something sweet and savory every once in a while." He reached for a lollipop.

"Oh yum!" Tao exclaimed, reaching for one, only to have M21 hold the bag out of reach. "Hey!" he whined. "I want some!"

M21 teasingly held the bag over his head. "They're for Takeo."

Tao pouted, looking up at the bag of candy just over his head. "Do I have to climb up on you to get it?" He smirked. "'Cause I will."

M21 chuckled, lowering the bag down. "No need." He rummaged through the bag. "Sour Apple, or Cherry?"

Tao clapped his hands. "Bubble gum." He eagerly accepted the offered lollipop, ripping off the wrapper.

The next few moments were spent in silence as the modified humans enjoyed their treats, until M21's phone buzzed with a text message.

M21 frowned as he stared at his phone. "Frankenstein wants us to finish our vegetables before the lunch break is over."

Silence descended on them all as they traded glances. "Well," Tao started. "I did get the carrots with Takeo in mind. He should finish them."

"Like I said before: how thoughtful."


	3. Comfort Scratch

Takeo frowned, concerned. "He seems troubled."

Raizel merely nodded.

Takeo continued to watch as M21 trembled in his sleep. How tragic that he was unable to escape his nightmares with a simple nap in the morning. At the moment, M21 was curled up on the couch in a defensive position, his hands clenched into fists, his forehead furrowed in distress.

Takeo started forward with the intention of waking his companion up. He knew M21 was exhausted, but he would be getting no rest if he was haunted with nightmares in his sleep.

"Scratch him behind the ears," Raizel said suddenly.

Takeo blinked, glancing back at the Noblesse in confusion, but Raizel was only staring into his teacup, his expression hidden. "Muzaka loved that when he was stressed."

Takeo looked back at M21 before sitting down on the couch next to M21. He stretched out his hand, running his fingers through M21's hair before scratching him. He half-expected M21 to wake up at that moment, but the werewolf only grew still. The tension left his body as he relaxed, unconsciously leaning his head into Takeo's touch. With a sigh, M21 thumped his foot when Takeo scratched at a particular spot on his head.

Takeo chuckled. "He's like a puppy."

A whine emerged from M21, and Takeo quickly resumed his scratching. He could only wonder what M21 would think when he woke up to this. But Takeo wagered that M21 was no longer afflicted with harmful dreams, and that's all that mattered.


	4. I Wanna Puppy!

"Boss, all I'm saying is that getting a dog would bring this dynamic family of ours together."

Frankenstein sighed. "Tao, we are not getting a dog."

"Just hear me out!" Tao rushed on. "A small dog, a little one that doesn't shed! I promise to walk it, feed it, and clean it. It'll be my sole responsibility, but everyone can enjoy the presence of a furry companion without the work!"

Frankenstein glanced in the direction of the living room. "We already have a dog." He nodded at the couch where M21 was resting. Takeo was currently running his fingers through M21's hair, causing the werewolf to sigh with pleasure in his sleep.

They heard Takeo chuckle. "You were right Sir Raizel. Werewolves apparently love being scratched behind the ear."

Tao frowned at M21. "I meant a cute one! A dog that doesn't bite."


	5. BANG!

Tao approached his prey, creeping up behind him. Raising his hands, he attacked. "A-Bam!" he exclaimed, jabbing M21's sensitive sides.

A hybrid of shrieks, yelps, and laughter emerged from M21's mouth as he leaped forward, rubbing at his ticklish sides. "Tao!" But the hacker was already racing across the room. M21's eyes narrowed as he raced after him. Tao could never hope to outrun the werewolf, but he was limber. Just as M21 reached Tao in the hallway, Tao moved out of the way. M21's hands were already descending downward, poking at a poor Regis who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Regis yelped, a snort emerging from his mouth as his ticklish sides were assaulted by M21's sharp nails. "What has gotten into you!?" the young Noble snapped, attempting to recover from his undignified moment.

M21's eyes gleamed, and he looked down at his hands, the very ones that had unintentionally found out Regis' long kept secret. He shot the Noble a mischievous look.

Tao cooed. "Aw, is little Regis ticklish?"

Regis' eyes widened as he realized that he was now trapped with both Tao and M21.

Meanwhile, Takeo was hiding in the safety of his room. Door locked? Check. Dresser in front of the window? Check. Hiding under the bed with his gun? Check. Magazine to keep him busy for the next two hours? Check. Now all he had to do was pray for Regis as he heard the Noble's strangled laughs in the hallway.

"S-stop! Unhand meeee!"

BANG

"HeeHa!"

"Oh~ Tao, it seems you're ticklish too."

Takeo sighed as he flipped through his magazine. He might as well pray for Tao while he was at it.


	6. Trust Fall

Tao wiggled his fingers, holding his arms out. "C'mon! Don't you trust me?"

"Should I?" M21 muttered. Even as he said it, he knew what the answer would be. He trusted his comrades with his life. But this was a bit different from rushing into battle and saving each other from modified monsters.

M21 swallowed nervously before closing his eyes, folding his arms across his chest, and falling backwards. His descent to the ground only lasted for a second before a pair of strong arms caught him. Opening his eyes, he glanced up at a smiling Tao.

"See?" Tao asked as M21 straightened himself up. "And you thought I would drop you! I told you your weight wouldn't be a problem."

M21 huffed. "I never said anything about my weight."

"Well," Tao drawled. "You have been eating a lot."

"I don't eat a lot!"

Tao hummed. "Mhm~ And Seira's cooking doesn't have anything with you going for seconds."

"Her cooking is delicious!" M21 retorted. "It's only polite that I help myself to seconds."

Tao just smirked. He teasingly poked M21's sensitive sides. "Seems like someone might need to level up on Boss' island."

M21 sighed. "What's the point of these trust exercises anyway? It's not like it'll work in real life."

As fate would have it, a situation arose when Tao could prove M21 wrong.

Running across the rooftops of the tall buildings, Tao looked back with wide eyes. The Union agents continued their pursuit, resilient as ever. Tao came to a sharp stop at the edge of the building, looking down at the sharp drop below. No big deal. He could just fly. But the problem was that Takeo was down below firing his guns at a rogue agent.

Tao glanced back at his own pursuers before looking back down where Takeo was. Coming to a quick decision, Tao turned to face the enemy. He grinned before folding his arms across his chest and falling off of the building. "Takeo! Catch me!"

Takeo looked up, eyes wide as his comrade performed a trust fall. "What the-? Tao!"


	7. Watchdog

"You know you don't have to wait for us."

M21 looked up at Tao. The hacker was drying his hair, his white strand of hair blending with the dark tufts on his head. The shoulders of the white t-shirt he usually wore after a medical checkup was damp from the water dripping from his hair.

Tao smiled at M21's confused stare. "You don't have to wait whenever we are going through our medical tests."

M21 glanced back at the large medical tubes that usually held his companions. Takeo was still suspended in the liquid, his eyes closed with the breathing mask over his face. Frankenstein was on the far side of the room going over whatever data he was collecting.

"I know," M21 said softly. He leaned his head against the glass tube that Tao had once occupied. From where he was sitting, he could still watch Takeo. Hugging his knees to his chest, he sighed. "It just makes me feel better."

Tao cocked his head, watching.

Medical presigers and checkups always evoked a sense of fear in M21. He would watch his companions in the Union enter labs, only to come out in body bags. They would be suspended in liquid, and M21 would wait, hoping that everyone would come out alive and survive the next experiment with him. Oftentimes, the tubes were empty, never to be refilled again.

Frankenstein never did any experiments that would jeopardize their lives, and M21 trusted him. Still, it frightened him whenever he saw Tao and Takeo's still forms in the liquid, their eyes closed and their bodies limp. He couldn't help but fear that the next time they left the lab, M21 would be leaving the lab alone.

So instead, he opted to watch. He never strayed too far, often curled up right next to the medical tubes or sitting nearby, his gaze never leaving his companions.

Tao moved to sit down right next to M21, the towel tossed casually over his shoulders. With a grunt, the hacker wiggled around until he got comfortable. He rested his head on M21's shoulder, sighing.

M21 grunted. "You're wet." He flicked a strand of Tao's dark hair.

Tao chuckled, straightening up. "I'm clean."

M21 looked away, focusing his attention on Takeo. "You don't have to wait with me."

"Sure I do. We'll wait together." Tao squirmed. "Maybe I'll get some cushions for the future as well. My butt is getting sore. Is your butt sore?"

M21 sighed. "You've only just sat down." Still, he smiled, finding comfort in the company of his companion. Perhaps he watched them in the lab because he also liked being near them as well. The fear was never gone, but the companionship never left him.


	8. Big Bikes

M21 stared. "Um, Tao," he started hesitantly. "What is...this?"

Tao's smile was bright and expectant. His hands merrily clapped together. "They are our new source of transportation! No more walking to school. Now we can cycle!"

Both M21 and Takeo stared at the three bikes before them, each one a different color. M21 could only guess that the red one was Tao's, given that the self-proclaimed leader of RK liked to stand out. The purple one was definitely Takeo's, which left M21 with the blue one.

Apparently, Takeo was wondering the same thing. "Tao, why would you go for red? I thought you liked black."

If it were possible, Tao's smile widened as he ran his hand over the handlebars of his red bike, much like one would touch a precious and prized pet. "Because when I ride by, leaving a trail of red flashes in my wake, people will stop and go 'what was that? Did you see that awesome cyclist?' and all that talk."

M21 scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Uh, Tao...I think you forgot one minor detail."

Tao waved a dismissive hand. "I know. It's normal to wear helmets when you ride a bike. I thought it was a waste of money anyway because if we smack into a mailbox, fall and crack our skulls open, it won't kill us. So what's the point of even investing in a helmet? We can ride without them."

"That's not it," M21 mumbled.

"We don't need the knee pads or elbow pads if you're worried about that too. I mean, if I wasn't going to get helmets, I'm certainly not getting any pads." Tao beamed. "I wanted to do something cool for you guys."

"You really didn't have to do that," Takeo stated.

"I know!"

"No, you really, really didn't have to do that." But Takeo was ignored as Tao inspected the bikes.

"So who wants to go for a test ride?" Tao happily asked only to be met with silence. He glanced back to see Takeo and M21 hesitantly avoiding his gaze. "What? It's a beautiful day out! You guys are usually pestering me to get out more. Well, I'm here to get out, and of my own freewill I might add, so I don't know what your strange behavior is-"

"I don't know how to ride a bike, Tao!" M21 blurted, his face heating up with embarrassment.

Tao's mouth parted in a silent 'o'. He glanced at Takeo, only for the sniper to look away shamefaced.

"O-kay," Tao drawled out, his mind spinning. "Well, I don't think they make training wheels for adults."

M21's mortification only grew.

"I suppose I could push you guys from behind to teach you the basics," Tao continued thoughtfully.

"You are not pushing me!" M21 nearly shouted. The very image of Tao running alongside him, encouraging him on, while he floundered about on a bike, was worse than proclaiming his ignorance in riding a bike. "Look, why do we even have to ride bikes? It's not like our legs are defected and we can't walk."

Tao sighed. "Yeah, but the Boss said that we had to ride these bikes before we upgraded to the big ones."

Takeo blinked. "The...big ones?" he echoed.

Tao nodded, withdrawing a portable garage opener. With one press of the button, the garage door opened to dramatically reveal three motorcycles, each one a different color of red, purple, and blue.

"Oh Lord," M21 muttered in awe as he stared at the bike.

"Those big ones," Tao stated with a grin.

M21 and Takeo traded glances before nodding in resignation. "Where are those training wheels?" Takeo sighed.

Let the lessons begin.


	9. The Gun in the Kitchen

Tao trembled where he sat, fear in his eyes. "Takeo," he pleaded. "Please, don't do it."

Regret shone in Takeo's eyes for a brief moment, and it filled Tao with hope, only until Takeo's blue eyes hardened to reflect the merciless agent he was.

"Takeo, think about what you are doing," Tao begged.

"Don't make this any harder than it already is." Takeo's cold voice was like a knife in Tao's heart.

"No, please don't!"

Takeo raised the gun. "I have to, Tao. You'll understand."

"It's not right!" Tao only watched in horror as the gun was pointed at him.

Takeo landed the small plastic gun on the _Clue_ game board. "I think it's Mr. Plum in the kitchen with the gun."

Tao scowled. "Drat."


	10. Follow My Lead

Tao tensed up as he stared at the door, waiting for it to open. But it remained closed, and his worry only increased. His fists trembled and he folded his arms instead, tapping his finger against his arm.

He didn't like this; the waiting. Frankenstein had entrusted him with watching over the kids and the school while he and Sir Raizel went with Muzaka to invade the werewolf territory. While Tao often found it easy to obey Frankenstein, he felt extremely conflicted at this moment.

M21, his comrade and friend, was in trouble and in need of help. He was being used, possibly experimented on in ways Tao could never imagine, and it made Tao's anxiety increase. All he wanted was for Frankenstein and Raizel to walk through that door with M21, mission accomplished, and their family could be whole again.

But the door remained closed.

His jaw clenched as Dark Spear, the shared energy between him and Frankenstein, spread within him. Feeding off of his fear and anger, his mind became clouded.

Releasing a trembling breath, he closed his eyes and steeled his resolve. With a narrowed gaze, he strode towards the door, hand outstretched.

"Tao."

He paused at Takeo's voice, and he glanced back. Standing before him were his companions, their suits expertly tailored (of course, because he would have nothing but the best for RK). All wore grim expressions, yet they looked to him for guidance.

An idea formed into his head. A wild, rebellious idea, and oh yes they could get in trouble if he went through with it. But he could not sit by and leave everything to Frankenstein and Raizel. Not when everyone's lives were on the line.

"You guys, will you follow my lead?"

Seira smiled. "Of course."

Regis huffed. "Don't mention it."

Tao's eyes fell on Takeo, and the sniper merely held out a mask. "You'll need this," Takeo said, tossing the mask to Tao.

Tao grinned as he placed the mask over his face. "Alright. We, the RK, will rescue our companion."


	11. Live!

"Oh! Swim little puppy! Swim!" Tao tore his gaze away from the screen and stared at Takeo with wide eyes. "Takeo, I need to know, does the dog live?"

Takeo sighed as he continued to enjoy the film. "Tao, just keep watching the movie."

"But I have to know! Does the dog live?" The sound of people screaming as red blood splattered on the screen could be heard, but Tao only seemed focused on the poor black puppy in the movie as it frantically swam in the water, trying to avoid the monstrous shark. The camera only focused on the dog for a few seconds before moving to the screaming humans, but those few seconds mattered to Tao.

"Just watch the movie," Takeo groaned.

Tao's anxiety continued to rise, even as the puppy let out a mournful bark as it swam for all it was worth. Desperation clawed at Tao as he nibbled on his nails. "Takeo!" he wailed.

"For goodness sake Tao! There are people dying in this movie!"

"But does the dog live?!"

* * *

**Bonus Scene:**

Frankenstein felt his Master's anxiety rise up, and he glanced over to see the Noblesse stare at the screen with wide eyes.

"Frankenstein, does the dog live?"

Frankenstein sighed. "Keep watching, Master."

"Frankenstein!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**You know those horror or thriller movies/trailers you watch and there's always an animal, specifically a dog, that's struggling to survive and that's all you care about? You could care less about the people getting hacked, slashed, tortured, or killed, but all you want to know is if the dog lives? Yeah, me too.**


	12. Chocolate Creamer and Revenge

Tao's startled shriek was the only thing that disturbed M21's morning.

Looking up from his second cup of coffee, M21 gave Tao a warning glare. Despite being on his second cup of coffee, the caffeine had not yet hit his brain and therefore his tolerance for anything that moved or squawked was rather nonexistent.

But Tao paid no attention to his caffeine deprived companion. Instead, he was staring at the coffee creamer in horror. The white liquid was splattered onto the counter (that, M21 had to admit, was a good enough reason for Tao's shriek. Heaven forbid if anything messed up the house).

Despite knowing that asking would not give M21 the quiet he wanted, he asked anyway. "Tao, what is it?"

Tao scowled at the creamer. "This!" he pointed at the brown container. "It's white!"

M21 raised an eyebrow. "So it is. What of it?"

"What of it?" Tao repeated. "Do you see this?" He pointed at the coffee creamer. "It says 'Café Mocha.' Mocha means chocolate and chocolate is brown. Well, this," and he pointed at the offending white spot on the counter. "Is anything but brown. It is white!"

M21 shrugged. "So?"

"So! That means that my creamer is not chocolate. Again! This is the second time this week!"

Taking another, much needed, sip of his coffee, M21 could recall the first incident that Tao's creamer had 'gone white.' At first, the hacker had assumed that his creamer was going bad because of the odd, non chocolate taste. But after Takeo had sipped the creamer and concluded that the creamer was safe to consume, Tao had been unable to rid himself of it. Frankenstein refused to waste anything, and everyone knew not to ask him for an exception.

"It's not that bad," Takeo had said after tasting it. "It tastes like vanilla and caramel."

Which, as everyone found out, Tao hated. Tao could not stand the taste of vanilla and caramel combined. He had even threatened to sue the company that stocked the creamer if they were changing the formula of his favorite creamer.

And it looked like his chocolate creamer was out of commission once again.

"I swear," Tao muttered as he glared at the creamer. "If they are changing the recipe of the 'Café Mocha' I will sue this company for all it is worth." His gaze became mournful as he glanced at his ruined coffee. "And now my morning has been tainted." He huffed and placed his hands on his hips. "Or maybe…" he trailed off as he snapped his fingers. "I bet it's Regis' fault!"

Now M21 was amused. "How so?"

"Because he likes the same creamer as me, and he drinks his espresso in the afternoons and leaves the creamer out! He probably made the creamer go bad and lose all of its chocolate taste!" He huffed. "I keep telling him that he should put it away in the fridge every time he's finished topping off his espresso, but he never listens to me!"

"You can't throw it out," Takeo pointed out as he sat down next to M21 at the table. "Boss hates wasting stuff."

Tao sighed as a look of regret came over him. M21 actually began to feel sorry for him. "I'll help you finish the creamer Tao," he offered.

Tao's smile was strained. "Thanks," he said as he grabbed his ruined cup of coffee and went in search of his computer. As he left the room, M21 caught the look of distaste on his face as he sipped his contaminated coffee.

Now alone in the kitchen with Takeo, M21 sighed and shook his head. "So, when are you going to tell him?"

Takeo's nonchalant face gave way to a mischievous smirk. "When he finishes the 'distasteful' creamer."

M21 chuckled. "You know, you should really stop swiping out Tao's chocolate creamer for your vanilla one. He'll get suspicious."

Takeo's mischievous smile grew. "I made sure to mix it with chocolate syrup this time."

Despite his friendship with Takeo, M21 now felt wary of the sniper. "This is because he braided your hair while you were asleep in the middle of the night, right?"

"He ruined my night. So I'll ruin his morning."


	13. Elusive Expressions

It was a burst of sudden emotion. Brimming to the surface, M21 was unsure how to deal with this feeling, this strong urge to speak. His heart leapt inside of him, and he spoke before gathering his words to properly convey his feelings.

"Guys, I..." his mouth hung open, yet the words he meant to say were trapped in his throat.

Tao and Takeo fixed their gazes on him, identical expressions of curiosity. "Yes?" Tao prompted.

M21 grimaced. Perhaps it was for the best that he kept his thoughts to himself. Yet the sudden and impulsive need to speak up encouraged him once more. "I...I really have come to…" the word that he desired to say remained elusive, so he settled for another term. "I care for you guys." His face grew warm from embarrassment, and he glanced away. The desire to remove himself from the situation was strong, yet his feet remained rooted to the ground.

He forced himself to look up, and it was Tao's smile that eased his discomfort. "Yeah, we love you too." Takeo approached and embraced him, and for once, M21 could not understand why he had been so fearful of voicing his true feelings in the first place.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, so I wanted to write something about these boys. Don't worry NoblesseSeira, I'm alright :)**

**On another note, did anyone see the crunchyroll trailer for the Noblesse anime and Tower of God!? It's happening people! We are getting an anime adaptation! I am so excited! :D**


	14. Thunder Frights

Takeo looked up as his bedroom door was cracked open. He curiously watched as Tao poked his head in with a tight smile. "Hey, um, I know it's late, but can I borrow that textbook?" He pointed to the book currently in Takeo's hand.

Takeo only glanced at the book and shrugged. "Sure. I just want to finish these two passages." He looked back at Tao, who had fully stepped into his room. "What happened to yours?"

Tao shrugged, his eyes glancing around the room. "It's downstairs, and I really don't want to go downstairs right now." Another sound of thunder rumbled overhead. Tao flinched, his hands tightly pressed together.

Takeo smiled with understanding. "I have a new magazine you could borrow for some light reading," he said, nodding to the bookshelf on the other side of the room.

Takeo said nothing as Tao grabbed the magazine and sat on the edge of the bed. He did not bother to comment when a loud clap of thunder sounded overhead and Tao flinched. He wasn't even focused on the book in his hand when Tao moved to sit next to him.

And if Tao happened to rest his head on his shoulder, falling asleep as the storm brewed overhead, Takeo was alright with that.


End file.
